SEARCY – The 18th-ranked Harding men's basketball will try to do something Thursday that no other team in the Great American Conference has been able to do this season. The Bisons will look to be the first team in the GAC to take down Northwestern Oklahoma State at the Percefull Field House in Alva, Okla. Tipoff is at 7:30 p.m.

Harding is 17-3 overall and 10-2 in the GAC. The Bisons lead the conference by 2½ games over Arkansas Tech and three games over three other teams. Harding has won a school-record 10 straight games, including a 71-58 victory over Southern Nazarene last Thursday in Bethany, Okla.

Harding overcame a slow start against Southern Nazarene and outscored the Crimson Storm 41-22 in the second half. Zach Roddenberry scored 19 points, and Harding made nine 3-pointers in winning its fourth straight road game.

The Bisons' next two games are on the road beginning Thursday in Alva. Northwestern Oklahoma State is perfect at 5-0 in home conference games and has won those five by an average of 15.0 points. The Rangers' closest home victory was 79-69 over Southeastern Oklahoma State on Jan. 12.

Northwestern Oklahoma State is 9-9 overall and 7-5 in conference. The Rangers are provisional members of the GAC and are not eligible for the conference tournament until next season.

In its last outing, Northwestern Oklahoma State fell 67-63 to Southern Arkansas in Magnolia on Saturday. Jonathan Freemyer led the Rangers with 21 points and 10 rebounds, but Northwestern shot only 36 percent, gave up 16 offensive rebounds, and were outscored 10-3 on second-chance points.

Harding and Northwestern met for the first time earlier this season. The Bisons had four players with 12 points or more and defeated the Rangers 82-66 in Searcy on Jan. 5. Harding made 13-of-26 3-pointers and shot 54 percent from the field.

Roddenberry and Adam Sterrenberg had 16 points each in the first meeting. Freemyer led the Rangers with 13 points.

Thursday's game will air live in Searcy on KVHU-95.3 FM with Billy Morgan and Scott Goode on the call.